Jeremy Knauff spent nearly two decades building a successful marketing agency — until a severe Health crisis nearly killed him and took the business down with it. In this raw, unfiltered conversation, the U.S. Marine Corps veteran and founder of Spartan Media shares what it was like to lose everything, the autoimmune condition that brought him to the edge, and the moment a fellow Marine’s suicide became the turning point that changed how he showed up in the world.
Jeremy walks us through exactly how he rebuilt his authority from zero: writing his way onto top podcasts and into outlets like Forbes and Entrepreneur, then multiplying every feature into a network of content across social and video. We also dig into what “authority” means now that AI tools like ChatGPT, Claude, and Perplexity are the ones vetting Experts before a journalist — or a client — ever does, and why pay-to-play media features can quietly work against you.
If you’re rebuilding after a setback, or wondering how to be findable and credible in an AI-driven world, this episode is your roadmap.
In this episode:
- How a health crisis and years of chronic pain nearly ended Jeremy’s career — and his life
- The fellow Marine’s suicide that became his turning point
- The exact content strategy that took him from invisible to Forbes and Entrepreneur
- How to turn one media feature into dozens of pieces of content
- What “authority” means when AI tools are the ones evaluating you
- Why fake/pay-to-play media features can hurt more than they help
- The mindset shift that keeps you moving when you want to quit
Connect with Jeremy:
https://spartanmedia.com/
Connect with Sabine:
https://sabinekvenberg.com/resources
Sabine Kvenberg is a storyteller at heart. From her early years as a stage and television actress in Germany, to directing and teaching for nearly three decades at her Performing Arts School in Virginia, Sabine has devoted her life to helping others find their voice and live courageously.
Now an internationally recognized keynote speaker, bestselling author, podcaster, and founder of Impact Communication Coaching and the Vibrant Voices Network, she equips entrepreneurs, leaders, and changemakers to step onto both visible and invisible stages with confidence, authenticity, and presence. Known as The Storytelling Dame, Sabine blends wisdom, humor, and theatrical flair to inspire audiences worldwide.
Gumption: Sacred Whispers, Bold Moves, and the Courage to Become is her most personal work yet—a memoir of resilience, reinvention, and faith. With honesty and grace, she shares her journey, empowering readers to embrace their own sacred whispers, take bold steps, and become who they were created to be.
Sabine lives in Florida with her husband and their beloved dogs, where she continues to write, create, and champion the power of courage, storytelling, and gumption.
